Film gauge



May 17, 1949. c. w.. McaRsE lz-rm.

Fmi GAUGE Filed noch, 194s INVENTORS. 4V. 771m@ v 0V C" 'Oum ATTORNEY l-u A Patented May 17, 1949 FILM GAUGE Clarence W. Morse, Santa Monica, Calif., and Hans Christian Deichert, Youngstown, Ohio; said Deichert assignor to said Morse Application December 7, 1946, Serial No. 714,762

2 Claims. 1 This invention relates to a device for gauging or controlling the thickness or uniformity of a lm or coating on a web, band or like elongated member.

An obj ect of the present invention is to providel simple and effective means for receiving a Web which has been coated by being sprayed or otherwise coated with a fluid medium and passing the coated web therethrough to accurately distribute the film-like coating so that it is of uniform and desired thickness.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coating gauging device which functions independently of the thickness of the web to provide a coating which is uniform in thickness throughout the length of the web even under conditions of varying thicknesses of the web.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type indicated which is readily adapted to gauge either oneor both-sided lm coated webs.

Our invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a Working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceablty.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration and example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a lm or coating gauge embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof as taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar, but fragmentary sectional view as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan sectional view as taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective detail View of one of the gauge blocks used in the invention.

Fig. 6 is a broken detailed perspective View of a coated web showing the progressive conditions of the coating as controlled by the gauge of this invention.

Generally, the device comprises a relatively xed gauge block I0, a relatively movable gauge block II, side blocks or plates I2 connected to the block I0, and means I3 for operatively associating the blocks I0 and II to guide a coated web therebetween and between the blocks I2, laterally.

In practice, the web is moved upwardly between the blocks I0 and I I, as shown, after passing through a conventional dipping tank or after being sprayed or otherwise coated on one or both sides. In the drawing both the web W and the coating thereon have been greatly exaggerated as to thickness, for the purpose of clearer illustration. Under some conditions the web may not exceed a thickness of 31E" or even less and the coating may be as little as .002" or .003". As indicated, the coating, when applied, is in a liquid state and examples of such coating may include emulsions, latex or synthetic rubber, asphalt, ink, paint and various liquid mixtures and compounds.

As shown in the drawing and particularly in Fig. 5, the opposed -associated operative faces of each block I0 and II are provided with spaced vertical ribs I4 which extend from a bevel I5 to a point I6 from which said ribs slope or otherwise recede as at I'I to blend into a small surface I8 at the top of each block. In this manner, the mentioned face of each block is provided with relatively Wide grooves I9 which also extend from the bevel I5 to points 20 in alignment with the points I6. The grooves I9 are then sloped as at 2| reversely to the sloped portions I'1 of the ribs to blend into the mentioned wall surface I8. The ribs I4 are therefore of uniform thickness below the points I6 and are gradually tapered from front to back as the wall I8 is approached. It will be evident that a plane projection of the wall I8 will reside between the bottoms of the grooves I9 and the tops of the ribs I4.

The means I3 is shown as comprising two stubs 22 anchored in the outward face 23 of each block I2, extending lips 24 on the movable block I I and apertured for the studs 22, an adjustable pressure nut '25 on each stud, and a spring 26 on each stud between its nut and the cooperative portion of the lip 24. The nuts can be adjusted to cause the springs to exert pressure urging the described faces of the blocks I0 and II toward each other.

In use, the web W is placed between the blocks I0 and II as shown and the means I3 adjusted to exert such a pressure as would permit free movement of the web between the blocks in the direction shown by the arrow 21. As seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the ribs I4 are in direct contact with the opposed faces of the web and the block II can yieldingly move to take up variations in the thickness of the web or to accommodate splices or other protuberances. It is, therefore, apparent that Webs varying in nominal thickness can be accommodated between the blocks I and II.

The previously coated web is then drawn or passed upward between the blocks. The ribs I4 will shave or wipe away any of the film or coating on the web in contact therewith and leave only such portions of the coating which are opposite the grooves =.I9. The number 128 .indicates y:these coated portions of the-web as it passes through the device. The coating portions 28 ll the grooves I9 and any excess is directed downwardly from the throat formed by the mating bevels I5.

As the web continues upwardly, the receding portions I'I of the ribs Ill-.together'with 'rt-hepppositely sloped groove portions 7.-1 :act :to both spread the coating portions 28 and to =thinthem out. In this manner the portions 2.8 ,arachanged to resemble trapezoidal areas 29 which diminish in thickness from the narrower to the wider parallel edges. The areas 29 then meet at the .lower ,edge of each surface I8 ,and .the coating 'then continues upward .with the web as a continuous .coating ,3| -having a thickness equal to `the rdifference of level between the ribs I4 and tthesurface :I8 of .each -block I0 and Il.

The web isrdenitelylocatedbetween the blocks fand-with identical rib and groove formations `on '.'both blocks, the coating 3| will be identical for --both sides ofthe web.

:,Ifhnefsideonlylof the .web is to be coated, one

.lof the blocks In or H Vhas .the .ribsand grooves replaced kby a plane surface 4and the device will zfunction, asset forth, but will produce a filml.like coating :only on the yside of ,the web which :,is directed `toward .the block having ribs and grooves tness area of the iinishedcoating. Stated in other words, .the thickness .fof the .finished coating `is -rst determined. The area of a typical cross- .section .of the -coating ;is `then simply calculated bymulnplymgsaid.thickness b y the width of the web. Said area is vthen apportioned to the `num- ,berof vgrooves I9 to beformed inthe lgauge block. The depth of eachgroove I9is'therefore made so `that the sum of the areas of the grooves equals the area of vtheiinished coating. The'transition portions II and `2'I are 'then Vformed 'to connect the resultant grooves and ribs to the surface wall 'It which is outwardly spaced with respect to the itops of the ribs a distance equal to the thickness `of I*the finished coating.

`Whilewe vhave illustrated and described fwhat we now regard as the preferred embodiment of -my invention,theconstruction is, of course, sub- -j-ect to modications without departing fromthe vspiritand scope of our-invention. `We, therefore, -do -not wish torestrict ourselves tothe particular Vforms of -construction illustrated and described, but-desire -to .avail ourselvesof vall modifications that ymay -fall -withinthe scope -of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A liquid lcoating thickness -controlling device for webs comprising a pair of relatively yieldingly movable blocks, raised rib means on the operative face of each block engaged with the opposed faces of the web to locate the same, and means -on at least one of --said block ,ifaces as a .coatedzwebrisapassed between theiblocksjor dividing the coating of the web into spaced strips of ,one thickness, then gradually spreading said strips of coating and simultaneously gradually thinning the same and then connecting the strips to ,form a ,uniformly spread coating thinner than :theithickness of :the strips, and having a cross- -sectional area substantially equal to the sum of the cross-sectional 4areas of the spaced strips of coating.

In va device for controlling the uniformity of thickness of the coating of a web, a block :having a face formed with ribs of rectangular crosssection and defining `grooves therebetween,

theouterfaces .ofsad ribs being adapted ,to bear against a previously coated web moving thereby .to remove .the coating except such-portions of the ,latter that reside in thegrooves, said ribs .being ,thicker than the ultimate desired thickness of coating on the web, said grooves thereby having a .depth commensurate to the thickness of the ribs, v the .widthscf said grooves vbeing so proportioned that the sum of their crossfsectional areas substantially equals the cross-sectional area of eachr-ib wththe mentionedspaced surface,.-and

an oppositely sloping surface on sai dblock. f ace ,connecting ,the :bottom of ,each lgroove with said spaced surface, ywhereby the strips of lcoating residingjn ,-theigrooves as the web is-moved ina direction c.toward said spaced f surface, are -simultaneously and gradually .thinned and spread -to uniformly coat said web.

CLARENCE W. MORSE. HANS CHRISTIAN `DIEIICH EIR/I'.

REFERENCES -CITED The ffollowing yreferences yare lof record in -ithe .-le of 4this patent:

UNITED `STIA'IE-S PATENTS Number Name vDate l1.309,858 Jones July 1 5, '.1919 2,263,200 'Wheele-ret al ;Nov. 18, v19,441 2,271,986 ,Mungall vFeb. 13, '1942 2,280,415 Lamllth Apr. 21, :1942 ,2.38.01729 ',Kierspe- .I-uly 31, ,1945 

